Bound
by the wicked muse
Summary: Riddick is held captive by a small band of mercs, but when they leave on a scavenge hunt, just one volunteers to stay behind and watch the bounty... but will a restrained Riddick prove to be too much temptation for her? (author note: Finally edited this piece and cleaned up some errors and tossed just a teeny bit more in... i may edit it yet again too!)


The chains were thick and heavy, clinking as they swayed slightly in the air with each rhythmic inhale and exhale. The small cargo hold had been equipped with a single large chair and a network of heavy chains and restraints. It had been designed for one type of cargo. Humans. She'd never expected it to hold this particular human though, and a part of her was fascinated that it currently did. She stood in the shadows for a few moments and watched him. It was unnerving to see him sitting there, restraints on his wrists and ankles, chains attached to each keeping him bound. He sat motionless, head bowed, arms suspended out to the side, loose ends of the chains hanging over his shoulders. Beyond his wrists and ankles, the chains held nothing of him. She swallowed hard and just watched him. With each breath he took, the ends of the chains danced as his massive shoulders rose and fell, making the soft clinking sound echo through the small space. She had volunteered to stay behind and keep eyes on the cargo. The other two members of her team had left to sweep the area and clear it of any other forms of life. They'd be gone a number of hours and she had an idea of how to pass the time. She pulled in a long quiet breath, but the only smell she could distinguish was the musty smell of dust and dirt. She wasn't sure if they'd sedated him before they left, but she didn't really care. In fact she almost hoped they hadn't. That would make it far more fun… for her. Pulling in one more deep breath, she took a step out of the shadows and started on her path across the few feet of space between them. She slowly closed the distance, each step as quiet as the last, until finally she was standing in front him. She tilted her head to the side, eyeing him curiously. With his goggles on it was impossible to tell if he was awake or not… which is why her cousins had removed them when they dragged him in here. She stood there, worrying on her bottom lip as she decided how to proceed. She leaned forward, placing her palms on the edges of the chair he sat upon, and pulled in a deep breath. Her eyes slipped closed as the smell of sweat and leather filled her senses. It wasn't just that combination though, there was something more, something unique to him that she couldn't peg down. It'd been a long time since she'd smelled a male like this. She opened her eyes and watched him a moment longer. He hadn't moved, his breathing hadn't changed, the same clinking sound of the chains the only true noise in the rig. She knew she was pushing her limits by being this close to him, especially given that the chains weren't quite taunt. She swallowed hard again, and hoped that his bowed head was a sign of sedation. She took a risk and leaned in further, her nose just a breath away from the pulse in his neck. The smell of him was intoxicating, and she let one soft trembling sigh leave her lips. She closed her eyes, hung her head just a little and told herself she was crazy. She didn't need to take a risk like this; her cousins would kill her if they knew. She opened her eyes and realized that the overhead light seemed to have dimmed. Lifting her head she gasped as she found herself staring right into silver pools of predatory warning. She made to stand up and step away, but something pushed her foot out from under her, throwing her off her balance. She let out a soft grunt as she suddenly found herself swept off her feet, literally, and right onto his legs.

The growl that rumbled out of him made her lift a brow. She attempted to stand up, but he'd caught her right calf between his legs and wasn't letting go. Her breath caught in her chest as she watched him tilt his head and look her over. She could feel her chest tightening, her heart struggling to beat, she found herself unable to breathe. She knew in that moment what it meant to be prey.

"Breathe." The word rumbled out of him and danced over her skin.

She pulled in a long and shaky breath, her heart suddenly pulsing again, sending the blood coursing through her veins. A few more long breaths and she had her composure together. She tried to stand up again, but found herself still unable to, trapped by his legs. She raised a brow at the look on his face. His expression had shifted from warning, to wanting.

"Haven't smelled woman in a while" the low rumble of his voice carried through the small space and he had to smile as her breath hitched just a little. He could feel her legs tense as she tried to pull away, but he wasn't ready to let this one go. He knew what she was after, and he wasn't going to make it easy on her. He felt her foot slip free and growled. She was stronger than he'd anticipated. He cocked his head as she stood up, took one step backwards, and narrowed her eyes. He saw the struggle happening inside her head. "Cut me loose and I'll make it worth your while" his voice rumbled out again, the soft words drifting through her ears and making her shudder with the thought.

"Can't do that. They'd kill me" her voice was flat, the words a statement of fact.

He tsked again, watching the struggle play out in her eyes. "Shame." That one word let her know that he was leaving the next move up to her. He leaned his head back and let his eyes close, blocking out the light from over his head. He'd seen ones like this before, they always think they know what they want, but none of them can ever play the game.

She didn't know why, but when his eyes closed she was broken from the spell of her panic. She watched him sitting there, eyes closed and yet still fully alert, and something inside her stirred. Maybe it was the spell of his eyes. Maybe it was because she was used to being the strongest. Maybe because he'd looked at her like prey. Maybe because he'd looked at her like she was a woman. Whatever it was, she realized that her cousins could kiss her ass. Everyone dies eventually. She slipped her feet out of her unlaced boots and took a slow step forward, unzipping her coverall. The sly grin spread over her lips as he lifted his head and opened his eyes. She took one more step forward as he growled and narrowed his eyes at her. Her tongue snaked out and licked her lips as she watched him shift in the chair. When he looked up at her, his expression had changed again. His eyes still flashed a warning, but this was different. It was a warning that teasing him was unwise.

"Should really take these chains off…" the words were growled out on a whisper, barely audible.

"Can't trust you not to slit my throat" contrary to his, her words were spoken clear and crisp as she slid one long leg to each side of his hips, effectively seating herself on his lap as she straddled him.

The laugh that rolled out of him was deep and shook his upper body. "When a woman undresses and sits where you are now…" the words were as close to a purr as a human could get, his hips shifting up, pressing against hers "That would be a mistake." He leaned into her, his face just an inch from hers, his lips less than a breath away. "Cut me loose…" the muscles of his arms strained as he pulled against the restraints.

His words caressed her skin like fingers, and she couldn't help but shudder just slightly. Something about the gravel in that bass of a voice he possessed made her burn. The chains clinked and groaned as he leaned forward, his face and lips nearly touching hers. Those three words whispered over her skin, making the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She wanted to. She wanted him to use his hands, his arms, his strength to take from her what she was so freely offering. "And what if the chains… are for _your_ protection?" She whispered against his lips before running her tongue over them.

The words she spoke didn't quite sink into his head right away, but the soft wetness of her tongue had been a bit of a distraction. When his brain finally processed what she'd said he growled a low warning, but before he could even lean back, he felt it. The sharp point of a blade pressing into his lower back. He growled again, head tilting, eyes flashing a warning as they met hers. The eyes that stared back at him were not the ones that looked at him moments ago. Something had changed in them. There was a hardness, an almost feral look in those green eyes that glared back at him. She was challenging him to test her resolve. His growl died down and he leaned back, feeling the blade bite into his skin, breaking the surface and threatening to cut into the muscle. She never flinched, the only change he saw was the curl of her lips. "Just who are you…" His words were curious, but also cautious.

It was her turn to laugh this time. Her grip on the blade never faltered and she even pressed it just a little harder against him, enjoying the way his jaw clenched as the pain bit into him. "According to all records…" she said and slowly pulled the knife out of his back, lifting the blade to her lips she smiled, "I didn't survive my escape" her tongue slid out and ran over the edge of the blood soaked blade. "Mm. Coppery." She whispered as she then pressed the tip of the blade just under his chin. Grinning a little wider she ran the very tip of the blade down his throat, over his chest, and slipped it under the edge of the cotton cloth that made up his tank top, and very slowly she pulled down. The sound of the fabric tearing made her smile. Her eyes never left his, each challenging the other in a standoff of dominance.

He'd misjudged her. It was rare for a female to even survive the penal system, let alone an escape. Though as she'd said, according to records… she hadn't survived. Made him wonder if she'd planned it that way, or if something had been orchestrated. Either way, this wasn't just some foolish damsel in front of him… this was a smart little slice of crazy. When she licked his blood off the blade, he couldn't stop the growl that he gave. It was his version of a moan… that sight had been evocative, and it turned him on. As he felt the sharp point of the knife drag down his skin, he leaned back, almost inviting her to keep up this game. He'd expected her to look away after a moment, they always look away when he challenges them… but this one didn't. She held his gaze, and she held it well. It unnerved him just a bit. He wasn't the biggest bad in the room, and that was something new to him. He could feel the edge of the blade still pressed against his abdomen as he sat straight again, but was rather relieved when she shifted her hand just enough that it didn't break through the skin. "I'd love to know where you were hiding that. Didn't' see too many pockets in that thing" he motioned to her coverall with his head, his arms once again straining against the chains and restraints. He wanted rather badly to use them.

"You'd be quite surprised what I can hide… and where" she lifted her hand, drawing the blade away from him, slipped her arms out of the sleeves of her coverall, and let it settle around her waist. She let her eyes leave his stare as she ran them over the line of his shoulder, down his arm, and came to rest on the restraint wrapped around his wrist. She'd seen the thick lines of muscles that strained in his arms, she could see his fist balled tight, and the metal cuff digging into his wrist. Sucking in a long breath she bit her lower lip again. She was going over all the options of what _could_ happen if she released him… and all the options of what he could do to her with the use of his hands. She could make a deal with him. Honor among convicts and all that, but the trouble was that she wasn't certain she could trust herself to set him free when all was said and done. Maybe just one hand free… Her thoughts were cut short by the soft sound emanating from him, it was too low to be called a growl, but she had no other term for the sound. It made her turn her head and look at him again, giving him a warning look of her own. "I'm thinking" She stated and shifted her hips on him, hiding a smile as she felt him begin to harden under her. It didn't help matters that she rolled her shoulders back, which only served to push her breasts closer to him. That growl of his grew louder, and her smile grew wider. "Oh, you liked that…" she whispered and rolled her hips against him again.

The chains groaned as he pulled on them again, and then once more to truly test their hold. This temptation in front of him was pushing his limits, and he had a feeling that she knew it. He raised a brow when she turned her attention back to him. He was weary of her drawn out thought process, and he knew she wouldn't release a single restraint anyway. Didn't matter who she was, it mattered who he was, and what he was worth. He growled as she rolled her hips against him, his body reacting to her, wanting more. This one was perplexing. He hadn't an idea of who she was, only what she wanted from him… and he was tempted to give it to her. Somewhere he lost sight of what she did with that blade. She wasn't lying about the hiding of it, he'd have to ask her about that one. When her back arched and her chest met his, he started to lose the last of his control. He swallowed hard and clenched his jaw as she rolled her hips against him again. He was always the one with the upper hand, the one in control… he didn't like handing that over to someone else. His eyes closed as she once again rolled her hips, his body sending signals to his brain that he was no longer prepared to deny. They snapped open as he felt the abrupt loss of her body against his.

She smirked when his eyes rolled closed, and the muscles in his shoulders tensed again. She knew he wouldn't be able to hold out forever. She'd heard the stories of him. She had his full attention now, and she still wasn't satisfied. She stood up then, knowing that the movement would bring his attention back to the here and now. His eyes snapped open and glared at her. "As much as I'd love to let even just one of those restraints off…" her words trailed off as she gripped the coveralls and started to pull them back up.

"I'll make you a deal then" that rumble of a voice offering up his side of a solution.

"Oh?" She asked and halted with dressing. She was curious to the terms.

"You take these chains off me, and I promise to… scratch that itch of yours" his lips curled into a smile as her eyebrow went up "and I'll even make it look like I escaped, instead of being released"

Her eyes narrowed as her head listed to the side "How do you know I won't just kill you and tell them you tried to escape…"

"I don't" those two words were sharp on the air. "But then again, if you'd wanted me dead, I would be"

"I don't slaughter captives" her words were flat, and carried the sadness of memory. She clutched the fabric to her body a little tighter, as if it could shelter her from those memories.

"Neither do I." His head shifted to look her in the eyes. He wanted her to see the truth behind those words.

She pulled a breath in through her nose and twitched it, working away an itch that had developed. "You don't slaughter captives, but you kill mercs-"

"I kill whoever gets in my way…" His words were sharp as he cut off the remainder of her thought. "Not one of them wasn't deserving of their death." He pulled on the chains again, testing how far his arms could move, then he did the same with his feet. "So it aint me you gotta worry about" He spoke softly, knowing that he had a mere inches of give to the chains, not much to work with, just enough to frustrate him.

She nodded slowly and came to understand that neither one of them could really be certain that the other wouldn't kill them. Made a fair bet for unleashing him… but not yet. She took a deep breath and shook her head. Before he could offer up any sort of warning to her, or she thought too much about it, she slipped out of the remainder of her coverall, and then the remainder of all of her clothing. She even pulled out the clip that held her hair up, letting the auburn locks tumble down with a shake of her head. She watched the twitch in his face, and how he squirmed just a little on that chair. He liked what he saw before him, even if he chose not to admit it. She chuckled a bit at the sight before her "Feeling is mutual" she bit her bottom lip again. Her body was raring to go, but one thing was still left to cover. She wouldn't take what she wanted without him giving it freely. No one should have to live with that. No one. She watched as he lifted his head and ran his eyes over her naked form. She couldn't help herself, she stretched, arching her back and basically just putting herself on display. She quite enjoyed the sound he made in response to it.

"Don't tease" that gravel filled voice whispered out.

"Then tell me what you want" She demanded of him, running her hands down her body, receiving another low growl in response.

"You" His head shifted, he gave her a look that made her body shiver, and he smiled as she licked her lips, again. "On your knees"

Four words. Just four and an agreement was made. She offered, he accepted. She took a step forward, watching as his legs relaxed open, giving her space to stand between them. She heard the chains clinking and her peripheral picked up the sight of his hands clenching, his forearms straining. He wanted so badly to touch her, and she began to rethink releasing those arms of his. Leaning down, she placed her mouth next to his ear "You're not the only animal here…" her tongue ran along the edge of his ear as her hands slid down his chest. Lowering her head she pulled in one long breath, letting the scent of him fill her senses until she was drunk with it. A soft sound that could only be called a purr left her as she used her tongue to trace a trail up his neck, over his jaw and stopping just before she reached his lips. She pulled back when he moved his head, his lips aiming for hers. She caught his lower lip between her teeth and bit down, just hard enough to draw blood. The startled grunt that he gave only encouraged her more. Licking the blood away from his lip, she finally relented and captured his mouth with hers, her tongue searching for his.

He knew she was planning to take her time with him, but the bite to his lip caught him by surprise. It was a bit more feral than most women are capable of, and it'd been a long time since a woman like this crossed his path. The coppery taste of his blood on her tongue only added to his increasing desire for her, and he loathed the fact that he could do little more than just sit here, at her mercy. He wanted the use of his hands and he pulled against the restraints yet again. He could hear the metal groan as its strength was tested against his. He pushed his hips up to meet hers again, he wanted to be inside her.

She broke the kiss and sucked in a long breath, her lungs desperate for air as her body burned from within. "You taste like salt…" she licked her lower lip slowly "and whiskey". She could feel him moving under her and she shifted her hips in response. "Don't get ahead of the game and spoil all my fun…" she muttered and nipped his lip one more time before she slid from his lap, and onto her knees. Her hands ran up his thighs, quite enjoying the ropes of muscles that shifted under his skin flexing as her fingertips traced the lines. She heard the chains scrape the metal below them as he moved his feet, spreading his knees just a bit more as she kneeled and leaned into his personal space. Her hands ran all the way up his legs, then they slowly set to work on the closure of his pants. She looked up at him and saw the tension in his face, the clench in his jaw, the tightness of every muscle. He didn't like being restrained in any situation, but she could see that he was pushing his own limits. "Breathe…" She said quietly and laughed as his head slowly tilted to look down at her. Such a mix of emotions playing through his expression, she couldn't help but chuckle. She wasn't one to waste an opportunity like that.

"Fuck you" he spat out at her.

She tsked at him "we'll get to that part… eventually." She leaned forward and ran her tongue down the exposed flesh of his chest, before nipping on the curves of his abdomen.

His only reaction was a low growl. He didn't like not being the one in control. He could be patient, but she was testing the limits of his right now. He felt the first dampness of sweat begin to build over him, and he focused on breathing. He didn't know just how long he could let her keep this up before he snapped and broke the restraints, claiming what he wanted from her.

She could hear the subtle increase in his breathing, and felt the warmth of his skin as the flush began to creep over him. She slid her hand into the front of his pants, finding him hard and ready, and wrapped her fingers around him. His hips shifted, and a low growl drifted down to her ears. No, not a growl, a moan. She smirked a little and lowered her head down, taking just the tip of him between her lips. She heard the metal groan in response to his arms pulling against the chains again, she could feel the tremble in his leg muscles as he fought against shifting his hips up. Slowly she lowered her head further, her tongue curled as she let the tip of it play along the underside of his cock.

The groan of metal was surprisingly loud as he pulled against the chains that held him. He knew that with enough effort he could eventually break the chains, but right now his entire focus was on the woman that had wrapped her hot, wet, mouth around his cock. His arms were shaking from pulling against the chains, but he wanted badly to use his hands right now. Eventually he closed his eyes and let his head fall back. She knew what she was doing, and she was damn good at it too. The combination of her hand moving at the base, and her mouth enveloping the rest of him as her tongue massaged against the more sensitive areas was making his head spin. He lifted his head with a growl as his eyes shot open. She'd stopped. The growl was a warning that pushing his limits was only going to result in things she didn't want to have happen. That low rumble was cut short as his eyes met hers.

She'd stood up and leaned into him, making sure she had his attention where she wanted it. "Normally I don't end that so abruptly, I like taking my time…" she glanced toward the entryway "but time is not with us." She licked her lips and straddled his legs again, meeting his eyes as her hand reached between them and guided him into her. She let out a shuddering breath as she felt him slide deep within her body, filling her, the thickness of him almost uncomfortable. She gave her body a moment to adjust to him, pulling in a long deep breath before she leaned forward, her lips pressing to his ear. "I'm going to release your hands" her words whispered against his skin, before she pressed a small knife against his throat again "Don't get clever with me. I will kill you if you do anything… other than fuck me." She heard the growl rise up from him like a demon escaping hell. Her message was read rather clearly, and at this point, there was no going back. For once she was glad for being tall, because it meant her arms were just long enough that she didn't even have to move to reach her goal. Keeping her eyes locked with his, her lips just barely touching his, keeping his focus where she wanted it, she dropped the knife in her hands to the floor and ran her fingers lightly over the length of his arms, splaying her fingers out until her palms were the surface that touched skin to skin. She could feel the long lines of muscles flex as her hands moved over them, inching slowly closer to the restraints around his wrists.

When her eyes locked with his, he found himself falling still for a moment. Something in her eyes pulled his focus for a split second, the words she spoke muddled with the noise in his head. _Time is not with us_ was the only thing he heard and for whatever reason that sank in. They were on borrowed time. His eyes kept locked with hers as he watched her body move closer to him, he could feel the heat of her skin as she slid her legs over his hips, he inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of her. He leaned his head down and breathed in at the skin of her neck, right over her pulse. The smell of her skin reminded him of rain through trees… earthy and clean. With one shift he felt her hand grip him, and then that wet warmth of her slid down over his cock. He let out a long breath as he watched her chest rise with her intake of air. He could feel her breath on his ear as she spoke, the words bringing a bit of a smile to his face, but the laugh he was tempted to give was forgone when he felt the tip of a knife against his neck again. _Where the fuck does she keep this damned blade?_ He had a thought to ask her, as he was genuinely curious how a naked woman could pull something like that seemingly out of thin air. Her choice of words evoked a low animalistic sound from him, and he tried to shift, to move his hips, but her legs actually kept him locked down. She was damn tall, and those thighs were stronger than he'd expected. For the first time, he actually felt like her captive. Her eyes caught his again and no matter how he moved his head, she kept her lips just barely touching his. It was maddening, and something he wasn't used to dealing with. His arms tensed as her hands ran over them like silk, the slow progression towards his wrists was frustrating. She was in complete control at this moment, and it bothered him. He was truly at her mercy and he could do fuck all about it…

She wanted so much to draw this moment out, to keep him in this state of frustration for as long as she could. To remind the predator that even he could be prey was a temptation she couldn't resist. The few heartbeats of time she spared was all she could justify risking. She'd played long enough, and knew that she very well could be risking far more than she was willing to wager. Need overtook her senses and her hands reached out, unlocked the restraints around his wrists, at the same moment that she let his lips capture hers. Pulling her arms back, she braced her hands behind him, grabbing the beam that served as the anchor for the chains, and rolled her hips against him. Her moment of control was over as she felt his hands grip her hips. He broke his lips away from hers, and this time it was he who whispered against her ear.

"My turn…"

He ignored the pain in his shoulders from the angle at which they'd been held as he brought his hands to her hips and gripped them tightly. It was his turn for control. The chains at his feet were only long enough to allow him a few inches of movement, but that was more than he needed. His hands rounded over the curve of her ass and gripped her too him. He felt her hands lock behind his neck as she caught the same train of thought as him. He felt her silent chuckle as he held fast to her and slid off the chair, laying her gently onto the steel floor below them. He braced his weight on his arms as he captured her lips again, drawing his hips back and driving into her again, and again.

Breaking the kiss on a gasp she felt his hips meet hers harshly, the impact sending pulses of pain through her. Lifting her hands she wrapped her arms under his to grip his shoulders, using the weight and strength of his body to keep her anchored, to keep him from driving her across the floor with his thrusts. Her legs wrapped around him and she raised her hips in a desperate attempt to drive him deeper into her. She could feel the muscles of his arms flexing, her hands gripping his shoulders as her nails bit into his skin. Her lips caught his, muffling the groan of pain he released as her nails dragged across his shoulders. His hips slammed against hers with a frenzied pace, skin meeting skin with bruising force. She felt her body begin to shudder and released his mouth with a desperate gasp for air as all her muscles tensed up. She could feel the orgasm swelling within her like a wave about to crash. A moment of agonizing breathlessness and the wave crashed over her. She lost all control as she screamed, her fingernails biting into his flesh once more, her legs tightening around him. Gasping for breath she heard him cry out with his own release. He drove into her one final time, and she felt his body tense, shudder, and then fall limply next to her. Every muscle in her body ached, and her head throbbed in time with her hips. She pulled in long breaths as her pulse rate slowed, and she blinked a few times to clear the fog from her brain. She could feel the weight of him draped over her legs and abdomen, which explained some of the cause for her struggle to breathe normally. With a groan she shifted under him, receiving a low growl in response. She felt his body shift just slightly as his arm draped over her, tensing just enough to keep her still.

"No. Stay" his words were barely audible.

"You know I have to put you back the way I found you…" She muttered and used her knee to nudge him, chuckling as his movement from that gave her the leverage to slip his arm off her.

"In chains" he muttered, pulling in a very full breath as he slowly lifted his weight from her body, tucked himself back into his pants, and stood just as slowly.

Testing the ability of his legs to hold him upright, he leaned down and held out a hand to her. He watched as her brow went up in suspicion, but eventually she took hold of his hand and he helped her stand up. He kept his hand under her elbow as she tested the ability of her own legs to hold her weight. When he was certain she could stand on her own, he knelt down and picked up her coveralls, and after running his hand down her calf, he lifted her foot and helped her step into them. Repeating the gesture with the other leg, he slid the cloth up her legs, letting his hands caress her skin as he covered her to the waist.

She smirked as he helped her to dress, rather enjoying the feel of his hands running along her skin as the coveralls were pulled up her body. She took the material from him as he stood up, and she slipped her arms into the sleeves. It wasn't until his hand pulled the zipper up the length of her torso that she even took notices of the lines of red running down his arms. It was at just that moment that she heard the engines of the cruisers approaching. Her face flashed with panic. She knew there was no chance of things going well now.

"Shit…" she muttered and pushed him down into the chair. She reached for one restraint and felt his hand grip her arm.

"Don't."

"I- I have to..." Her words were soft and full of regret.

"Don't." His expression told her that he understood, but was offering to help her as well.

She narrowed her eyes and wrapped the restraint back around his wrist. As she heard the metal click together, she looked over her shoulder at him, for a split second their eyes met and she pushed the restraint together … and left it closed, but unlocked. She repeated the same action with the other side. As she stood up she nodded at him, and hoped like hell he understood. Watching him with a touch of regret in her eyes, she saw him roll his shoulders back, almost hiding the lines of broken skin she'd given him. The only clue anything had happened was his shirt. Sliced down the middle was a little difficult to disguise, but nothing could help that. She stepped away and tied her hair back in a messy knot. Time to face the music…

He nodded slowly once to her, and closed his eyes, listening as she walked away from him. He got her message, and fought the laugh that threated to leave him. She was going to allow him to break loose. He liked this one. He kept his focus on the sounds around him, just awaiting the timing he needed.

She had managed to get about a yard away when her cousins walked into the ship. She stopped dead in her tracks and looked at the pair of them. They didn't appear very happy, which meant they hadn't found what they were searching for. They'd set off with the intent on killing something, and their return showed that they hadn't found anything to kill. This usually spelled trouble for her. Pulling in a long slow breath, she braced for what was coming next. The smaller of her cousins raised a brow at her and looked between her, and Riddick.

"Well, well… what were you doing in there cos?"

"Checking that he was still alive" Her words were flat, emotionless, and cold. She hated these men and the fact that genetics related her to them. She hated it more that they had so much control over her.

"Is that so?" The larger of the two retorted. He could see her disheveled appearance and pulled in a long breath. "Doesn't smell like that's all you were doing."

Before she could blink, the larger one had his hand around her throat and pinned her to the wall. The smaller of the two just chuckled.

"You gonna speak true now? Or do we need to coerce that out of you?" His words were a threat of something she didn't want to happen again.

She gasped for air, and clawed at the hand around her neck.

Riddick's head tilted as he tried to listen harder, he could hear speaking, but the words were spoken too quietly for him to hear. When he heard her gasping, he opened his eyes. He waited for the blade of hers to come out, but it never did. He sighed as he realized why, and he looked down to the floor at his feet. There, right along the side of his boot… was that knife. She'd left it there for him. These two had seen him still chained, which served him well. With one easy pull of his arm, the restraint quietly released, and he slipped his hand free, repeating the same with his left hand. He moved very slowly, so as not to turn their attention, and ran his hands over the restraints at his ankles. There was no quiet way to unlock these… and he knew that a soon as he did, the attention would be in his direction.

Hissing as her nails bit into his fingers, the larger male heard two clicks to his left. He turned his head toward the captive bounty. "Shit" He said quickly and released his cousin's neck, leaving her coughing and doubled over. He stormed down the walkway to the cargo hold, cursing. "What the fuck!" He did a quick turn and looked around, not seeing anyone but his brother, who was now holding his gun at the ready. "Where the fuck did he go?" He asked of his brother, who was already backing away.

"I told you it was a bad idea…" the smaller male muttered as he backed himself against a wall.

"The fuck you did…" the larger of the men walked around to check behind the makeshift chair they'd built and couldn't find anything. "Well where could that fucker have gone?!" He shouted out, and heard silence. Panic welled up in him as he stood up and walked back around the chair, only to find his brother wide eyed, grasping his bleeding throat. "oh fuck…" he whispered as he watched his brother fall to his knees, and then dead to the floor. He spun around again, searching the shadows for him. "WHERE ARE YOU?!" he shouted into the small area, and saw his cousin fleeing towards the open ship door. "NO! get back here!" he yelled, his panic replaced by rage as he ran full force towards her. He never saw Riddick until it was too late. The sting of the blade cut across his chest, causing his feet to falter. As his legs tangled together he fell, and shakily stood back up, pressing a hand to the large bleeding wound on his chest. He watched as Riddick stepped out of the shadows and faced him. "I won't stop you. She's worth more…" He said and stepped aside.

Riddick cocked his head and just looked at him. "Bounty hunter. Explains a lot really." He took one step forward and watched as the man's expression showed the slightest hint of terror. "She offer you a deal? Me for her?"

"Yeah" he nodded a little too quickly.

Riddick tsked. "You should have taken it" His words were flat and full of warning. He watched as she stepped through the door again, and raised a gun at her cousin's head.

"You sick, fucking, bastard. Rot in hell" She spat at him, and then pulled the trigger. She turned her head just in time to avoid her face getting splattered with blood, and slowly lowered her arm before turning her attention to Riddick. "Thank you" she said and tossed the gun at her cousin's feet.

Riddick looked her over and noticed that she'd not only changed into proper clothing, but found shoes as well. "Wasn't my kill to make" He said and walked towards her, watching her watch him. He was about to walk past her and out the door, but her arm shot out in front of him and stopped him.

"Ah, I believe you have something of mine…" She said and held out her hand. She smiled as he placed the knife into her palm and raised a brow at her.

"Been meaning to ask… where exactly do you keep that thing?"

She chuckled lightly and flipped the blade around in her hand. "Anywhere, and everywhere" she said as she slid it into the back of her waistband. She sighed as he raised a hand and pulled back the collar of her jacket, growling at the fresh bruises on her neck. "They surface quick now. Happens when the body doesn't have time to really heal between repetitive injuries." She said softly and pulled her collar closed again. "I was never able to take both of them down…" her words were sad and full of regret "so thank you."

The sadness and relief in her eyes burned through him, but he didn't want to face that part of things. "Wasn't my kill" he said and looked at her again. When her eyes met his, a spark lit inside him. "Who are you?"

She shrugged. "No one of importance. Just someone who was in the wrong place at the right time… and served 5 years for it" she said and moved just a little closer to him. "anyways, who I was… is dead. There was a body and everything." She scoffed then. "Guess you could say I'm a ghost" her words were soft, her face inches from his.

"You're not afraid of me are you?" he asked with genuine curiosity. It was so rare to come across someone that had no fear of him.

"No. I'm not" her words were flat, void of emotion, but her expression let him know that there was truth to them.

"That's interesting…" Riddick felt his pulse quicken. He wanted her again, but she'd only distract him. It'd be like Jack all over again. Then again, maybe he was ready for a distraction… at least for a short while. He thought about it a moment, the memories of what happened last time he let himself get distracted surfaced, and took a step away from her. It was a distraction he didn't need. He turned away from her intent on reaching the controls this time.

"Hey Riddick…" She said and smiled as he turned back around to face her.

He wasn't expecting the punch that landed square in the side of his jaw, her full weight thrown into the follow through. He doubled over, his head spinning.

She'd stumbled outside after her punch connected and she spun around to smile at him. "If you catch me before dawn, I'll wear the chains…" She hollered out to him and jumped on the cruiser, speeding away, with power cells for the ship on the back end of it.

Riddick growled and stood up, realizing that he could do little else but hunt her down. It was the only way either one of them was getting off the planet. He had the ship, and she had the power. Looks like he needed the damn distraction after all.


End file.
